Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets: Full Report Card Grades for New York
The New York Jets played their best game of the season on Sunday, knocking off the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13.
The Jets played like a playoff team, dominating the turnover battle and making Ben Roethlisberger and an explosive Steelers offensive look like amateurs throughout the day.
Michael Vick was solid once again, as he avoided mistakes and made several big plays to lead New York to an emphatic 17-0 start in the first quarter.
The victory brought a relieving end to Gang Green's nightmare eight-game winning streak, and Rex Ryan and his coaching staff can now rest easy heading into the team's bye.
Click through to see full grades and analysis for each positional unit in the big Week 10 win.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Michael Vick looked like his old self on Sunday, especially in the first half.
He made plays with his arm and his legs, tossing two touchdowns to T.J. Graham and Jace Amaro in the first quarter and rushing for 39 yards on eight carries.
The first scoring pass was a phenomenal throw into double coverage that went 67 yards. The second was equally as impressive, as Vick waited for his receivers to find room in the end zone before slinging it to his rookie tight end.
Vick's final stats (10-of-18, 132 yards) aren't overly impressive, but he played mistake-free, smart football throughout the game and, most importantly, led the team to a victory.
Unless he suffers an injury, the Virginia Tech product will likely be the starter for the remainder of the season.
Grade: A-
Running Back
2 of 10
The running game was a tale of two halves.
In the first half, it was virtually dominant. Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson found large holes, especially on the first few possessions, and had a couple of huge gains.
The threat of the rushing attack was a huge reason why the Jets marched out to a three-score advantage before the first quarter even expired.
However, the running game floundered in a major way in the second half. New York's runners couldn't find any room, and they were constantly met short of the line of scrimmage.
The Jets attempted to run out the clock to keep their large lead intact, but the lack of success on the ground prevented that.
Ivory and Johnson combined for just 74 yards on 20 carries, as they simply couldn't find the same kind of running room that Vick and Percy Harvin did.
Grade: C
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
When all of your receivers combine for fewer yards than an opposing rookie wideout (Martavis Bryant), it would normally mean an awful day.
However, that wasn't really the case.
The receiving corps was decent throughout Sunday's game and made some big plays when it mattered.
T.J. Graham used his phenomenal speed to make a big touchdown grab early, and Jace Amaro made a spectacular leaping catch in the back of the end zone for the team's second score.
And while Percy Harvin only totaled three catches for 23 yards in the air, he made a big impact on the ground (33 yards on eight carries).
The Jets receiving corps will never be the most dominant unit, but it's been effective since Vick has taken over, and that's all that has to be asked of it.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line was up-and-down, as it has been all season.
The unit was dominant early on, getting tremendous push up front and opening up big holes for the rushing attack.
However, it wore down as the game went along. In the second half, Pittsburgh's defensive front was in control of the line of scrimmage, and New York failed to get much of a ground attack as a result.
Vick also had inconsistent protection throughout the afternoon, as he was sacked four times and was hit on seven other occasions. If not for Vick's mobility, that number could have been much greater.
The offensive line's inconsistency has been costly throughout the season, but it wasn't in this one because when it was good, the offense was dominant (17 points in the first quarter).
The unit has to be more reliable for the offense to maintain its success.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
After a couple of relatively down weeks, the Jets' best unit returned to its usual high level of play against the Steelers.
Muhammad Wilkerson and Co. controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the game, completely shutting down Pittsburgh's running game and getting constant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger.
Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount combined for just 36 yards on 16 carries, as neither could find any kind of hole in New York's front seven.
The Jets' run-stoppers had a midseason swoon, but they have certainly returned to form recently.
The pass rush should also be lauded. Even though it only recorded two sacks (one of which was by Leger Douzable), it kept the Super Bowl-winning quarterback on his heels throughout the day.
Grade: A-
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebacker unit was also fantastic in shutting down Pittsburgh's rushing attack, as well as getting pressure on Roethlisberger.
Demario Davis was all over the field, notching 12 tackles (11 solo) and a pass deflection.
Calvin Pace and Quinton Coples also got back on track, combining for three tackles for loss and providing a nice outside pass rush.
Most people credit the defensive line as the main reason for the front seven's consistent dominance, but the linebacker corps has done more than hold its own throughout the season.
Grade: A-
Secondary
7 of 10
Save for an 80-yard touchdown by Martavis Bryant in the final minutes, the secondary was tremendous against Roethlisberger and a red-hot Steelers passing attack.
Inexperienced corners Phillip Adams and Marcus Williams did a fantastic job of reading routes and staying on Pittsburgh's wide receivers, and they managed to hold the best receiver in the NFL this season, Antonio Brown, to his worst game of the year.
However, the real star of the game was Jaiquawn Jarrett. His stat line was unbelievable: 10 tackles, two interceptions, two pass deflections, a fumble recovery, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits.
Jarrett started in place of the struggling Calvin Pryor, and he made the most of his opportunity. He was all over the field, making big plays on seemingly every other drive.
Roethlisberger is sure to have nightmares about Jarrett in the near future.
The secondary has been terrible all season, but it looked like a dominant unit on Sunday.
Grade: A
Special Teams
8 of 10
Nick Folk missed his first field goal of the year late in the first half, but it didn't cost the team.
The return game was also a non-factor, and Ryan Quigley had an average outing.
However, the special teams made an impact through the defense, as T.J. Graham recovered a muffed punt by Antonio Brown in the first half.
Although the offense couldn't take advantage of the turnover, it was still a huge play in the game, as it kept the momentum firmly in New York's corner.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
Rex Ryan won't be the Jets coach after the season. But this is the kind of game he can brag about in job interviews.
Ryan perfectly schemed against the Steelers previously dominant passing attack, making a beleaguered secondary look like the Legion of Boom.
Ryan blitzed at the perfect times and dropped multiple players back in coverage in others, and it kept Roethlisberger on his heels throughout the game.
The head coach has had a tough year, but he reminded us Sunday what he's capable of on the defensive side of the ball.
Marty Mornhinweg continued his solid play-calling, as he developed a running game early and then used play action for a huge touchdown on the first play of the second drive.
Mornhinweg also did a nice job of mixing up play calls and not getting too conservative with the big lead.
Grade: A
Cumulative Grade
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Grade |
| QB | A- |
| RB | C |
| WR/TE | B |
| OL | C |
| DL | A- |
| LB | A- |
| Secondary | A |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | A |
Cumulative Grade: A-
Jets fans will look back at the 2014 season negatively, but if they're to remember any positives, it will be this showing in Week 10.
New York had its way with a good Steelers team all game long, as it outplayed, outcoached and outhustled Pittsburgh.
The defense was terrific, and the offense made plays when it needed to. The turnovers also finally turned in the Jets favor, and by a wide margin.
Rex Ryan and Co. aren't going to the playoffs, but they can go into the bye week with a little bit of confidence.
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